Grilled Balsamic Chicken Cutlets over Spinach Salad with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

Yes, this is an extremely long name for a salad, I agree, but it does provide you with an excellent description of what to expect. Only it leaves out the fact that there is bacon in this salad, which I feel is really a shortcoming, because when you know something has bacon in it, it immediately becomes more exciting, or at least it does in our house.

I made this a few nights ago for me and my husband. We both love, love the Summer Salad with Grilled Salmon recipe we have, especially the dressing. In fact I use this dressing on other salads just because it is so dang good and will last in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Summer Salad with Grilled Salmon

Summertime is the best time of year to enjoy cooking outside on the grill, and nothing makes meat, especially fish, taste better. This salad receipe combines the flavor of grilled salmon, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar. It makes a great summer dinner when you want something light, filling, and healthy.



Summer Salad with Grilled Salmon
Salad recipe by Caroline
Picture by Caroline
Dressing recipe adapted from Everyday Foods Serves 4

Salad Ingredients:
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
½ tablespoon olive-oil
5 cups baby spinach
3 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped roughly
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
1/4 cup pecans (optional)
1/4 cup Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette (below)

Directions:
1. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Brush fillets with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. When grill is ready, place salmon on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, or until fillets are cooked through, but still flaky. Take off heat and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes.
4. Combine spinach, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, goat cheese, and pecans.
5. To serve, place salad mixture on plate and top with a sliced salmon fillet; sprinkle with Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette (below).

Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette
Makes about 3/4 cups

Ingredients:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 or 2 small garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. In a blender combine all ingredients except the olive oil. Blend mixture until smooth.
2. Keeping blender going, slowly drizzle in olive oil and continue to blend until creamy. (This dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If it becomes somewhat solid, run bottle under hot water and shake well.)

ps...don't forget, one week left to submit to our 100th Post Birthday contest

Spinach Tortellini Salad

Note: Don't publish posts to delicious foods while your stomach is rumbling, it just makes it worse!

Okay, so this salad is yummy and doesn't require much work. The most time consuming thing is making the dressing, which only takes a matter of minutes. Be sure to wash your spinach leaves really well, because they always seems to be full of dirt. As a side note, always dry your lettuce as best you can before adding dressing (a salad spinner is a wonderful invention). I learned from working in a restaurant years ago, that if the lettuce is too wet, the dressing won't stick to it, and you won't taste the dressing (and let's be honest, that is half the goodness of a salad's flavor). Enjoy!


Spinach Tortellini Salad
Recipe from my friend Caitlin
Pictures by Caroline

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar and it worked great)
1/4 cup salad oil (light extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon grated onion (I love onion! I used about ¼ cup of grated red onions)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (I used about 2 tablespoons of seeds and toasted them in my toaster oven for a couple of minutes)

Salad:
½ lb baby spinach leaves
12 oz. premade cheese tortellini’s (cooked and chilled)
1 can, canned mandarin oranges
¾ cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1. Bring sugar and vinegar to a boil in small sauce pan. Stir until sugar dissolves; take off stove.
2. Add oil, salt, paprika, grated onion, and sesame seeds. Stir really well or pour everything into a jar and shake until well mixed; let dressing sit (the longer it sits before you toss on salad the better--I make it the night before, or the morning of).
3. Mix salad ingredients together; toss in the dressing and bacon just before serving so nothing gets soggy.

This recipe makes a large salad, enough for about 10-12 servings, so it is great to take to parties, like bridal showers where I recently served it.
-Caroline

Sweet Barbacoa Pork Salad

This recipe combines many fresh ingredients, including tomatillos. If you have never used them before don't be nervous, they have a light, sweet flavor. To use them remove the papery skin, rinse, and cut.

Another vital ingredient (in my mind) are uncooked tortilla shells. These are a staple in our home. They are thinner than the pre-cooked version, they have a better flavor, and they are easier to roll if you are making enchiladas, burritos, or fajitas. You find them in the refrigerated section at your grocery store.